Textile winder



N. E. KLEIN TEXTILE WINDER Dec. 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 12, 1951 INVENTOR NORMAN E. KLEIN ATTORNEY {{START OF DOWNSTROKE I III STOP WlNDlNG:

DOFF FULL QUILL INSERT EMPTY QUILL END OF UPSTROKE START WINDlNCi 7% PPECESSbNAL CAM United States Patent TEXTILE WINDER Norman E. Klein, Clemson, S. C., assignor to Deering Milliken Research Trust, Pendleton, S. C., a nonprofit trust of Maine The present invention relates to textile winding machines, more particularly to machines for winding qu lls and comprises a novel machine of this character wh ch requires a minimum of floor space, has a high production rate, is fully automatic and is economical to construct and to operate.

The new machine is generally circular in construct on and comprises essentially two concentric zones which rotate at different rates about their common axis, the zone rotating at the lesser rate including the spindles carrying the quills to be wound and the means for guiding yarn to the individual quills and the zone rotating at the higher rate including the means for traversing the quills. The spindle zone is interrupted at one location for dofling of a full quill and the substituting therefor of an empty quill, suitable automatic means for these operations being provided at such location. The machine includes a fixed cam which provides the precessional movement of the quills during rotation of their zone, the cam moving the quills relatively to the traverse means of the more rapidly rotating zone and insuring completion of the wind of a quill during rotation of its zone from and back to the location of quill change. The traverse means of the new machine is of the general type disclosed and claimed in a copending application of the present applicant, Serial No. 131,53 8, filed December 7, 1949, now Patent No. 2,668,671. It comprises a cylindrical member having a generally saw toothed upper edge over which the yarn is guided from the supply reel to a quill, rotation of the traverse member causing the yarn path to rise and fall in accordance with the contoured edge of the member with corresponding traverse of the quill by the yarn.

For a better understanding of the invention and of the various features thereof reference may be had to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a high speed quill winding machine embodying the invention, the supply creel being omitted from the drawing in the interest of clarity;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the machine of Fig. 1 taken on the line 22 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the traverse rotor of the machine of Figs. 1 and 2 and;

Fig. 4 is a diagram explanatory of the operation of the machine at the location of dofling and quill replenishing.

The particular machine illustrated in the drawings accommodates twelve quills each of which is completely wound during travel around the periphery of the circular part of the machine. A central shaft is rotatably supported by bearings in a fixed support. All of the moving parts of the winding mechanism are supported by this central shaft. These parts comprise the supply creel which is fixedly secured to the upper end of the shaft, the yarn guide and tensioning means which are carried by a platform fixed to the shaft below the creel, the spindle carriages which are slidably mounted on vertical posts anchored in support disks fixed to the shaft below the platform and the traversing means which is rotatably mounted on the shaft with its saw tooth contoured edge interposed between the guide means and the quills and which is driven so as to rotate at a rate higher than that of the shaft.

These various parts, the drive means for the shaft and for the traverse means and the cam meansfor providing the precessional movement of the spindle will now be described by reference to the drawings.

The central shaft 2 is mountedby means of bearings 4 in a support tube 6. Tube 6 is fixedly mounted on beams 8 forming part of the base 10 of the machine, the beams spacing the lower end of the tube 6 a sufficient distance from the floor level to provide clearance for a large drive gear 12 secured to the lower end of shaft 2. A drive motor 14 for the machine is mounted in a framework 16 positioned to one side of the winding machine proper with its drive shaft 18 extending upwardly through suitable bearings in a platform 20. The shaft 18 has fixed thereto a drive pulley 22 around which passes the spindle drive belt 24. The belt 24, in addition to driving the spindles, as hereinafter more fully described, drives a power take-off pulley 26 which in turn drives a reversing gear triad 32. The gear triad 32, through a change gear 33, drives a pulley 28 and, through a variable speed unit fixed ratio speed reducer drives a pinion 30. The casing enclosing the variable speed unit is indicated in Fig. 1 at 34. Pulley 28 drives the traverse means and pinion 30, through an idler gear 36, drives gear 12 on the shaft 2. The change gear allows change in the traverse rate with respect to quill rotation to provide desired pitch of wind and the variable speed fixed ratio speed reducer unit provides an adjustable slow speed output for pinion 30.

Mounted on the upper end of the shaft 2 are twelve radially and upwardly extending brackets 38 (not shown in Fig. 1) each of which carries at its outer end a pin 40 for support of a yarn supply package 42. A pigtail guide 44 for the yarn Y drawn from the associated package is carried at the upper end of each pin 40. The pins 40 extend upwardly from the brackets 38 and are inclined toward the extended axis of the shaft 2 to provide a free path for the yarn from the guides 44 to the tension devices now to be described.

A circular platform 46 is fixed to the shaft 2 as by a press fit against a shoulder thereon. Radially disposed on the platform 46 are tension units 48, one for each spindle. Each unit, in the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, comprises two disk tension devices 50 arranged with their axes horizontal. The inner wall of a cylindrical double walled combined guide and shield 52 is mounted on the platform 46 at the periphery thereof by means of a flat ring 54 which may be, and preferably is, formed integral with the shield. The outer wall of the shield 52 extends downwardly beyond the platform 46 and is mounted by means of a flat ring 56, on a platform 58 secured to the shaft 2. The vertical walls of the shield 52 are provided at each spindle position with a vertical yarn guide slot 60 the edges of which are smoothly rounded to avoid abrasion of the yarn during passage thereover. The saw toothed traverse means hereinafter to be more fully described extends up into the annular space between the walls of the shield 52.

Mounted at their ends in the platform 58 and in a platform 62 secured to the shaft 2 at a level lower than that of platform 58 are pairs of guide rods 64 for spindle carriages 66. Each carriage is urged downwardly toward the platform 62 by a tension spring 68 the upper end of which is secured to the upper end of the carriage and the lower end of which is fastened to the platform 62. Each carriage comprises an elongated sleeve 66a slidably mounted by means of bearings 70 on one of the pair of rods 64 and upper and lower strips 66b extending from the sleeve 66a and encompassing the other rod of thatpair of rods and the spring 68. Part of the sleeve 66a of each carriage extends downwardly below the lower strip 66b and carries near its lower end a horizontally disposed pin 72 upon which is rotatably mounted a cam follower roll 74. The cam followers 74 roll on the upper edge of a cam sleeve 76 fixedly mounted on the base 10. The sleeve 76 gradually decreases in height from a maximum at the location at which an empty quill is supplied to the machine to a minimum at the location at whicha full quill is dolfed. (See Figs. 2 and 4.) The spindles, indicated generally at 78, are mounted in any suitable manner on horizontal ledges secured to or, formed integral with the spindle carriages 66. Each-spindle has a relatively long bolster upon which is rotatably mounted a long whorl 82 and quill supporting extension 84. The whorls 82 of'the spindles are driven by the spindle belt 24 which, over a relatively small angle, contacts each whorl except that of the spindle at the dofling and replenishing location. An idler tension pulley 85 positioned between the rotating spindle array and the main czlgive pulley 22 maintains the desired tension in the belt The traverse rotor, as shown best in Fig. 3, comprises a tubular member 86 mounted on the periphery of a disk 88 and cut away along its upper edge to form a series of hills and dales of substantially constant slope, the vertical distance between the bottom of a dale and the peak of a hill being equal to the desired length of traverse. As shown in Fig. 2 and as heretofore indicated, the tubular traverse member 86 extends up into the annular space between the walls of the shield 52 and rotates therein. The disk member 88 of the traverse rotor is mounted by means of ball bearings 90 on the shaft 2 between the support platform 46 and the platform 58 supporting the outer wall of the shield and the upper ends of the carriage guide rods. The outer race of the bearings 90 also support a pulley 92 by means of which rotation is imparted to the traverse rotor. A shaft 9-1 which is rotatably mounted in bearings carried by the disk platforms 58 and 62 has a pulley 96 fixed to its upper end and a pulley 98 fixed to its lower end. Pulley 6 belt drives pulley 92 and pulley 98 is belt driven by a pulley 100 rotatably mounted on theshaft 2. Secured to pulley 100 and rotatable therewith is a pulley 102 of larger diameter which is belt driven by the traverse drive sheave 28, the drive of the shaft of which has heretofore been described.

The precessional cam 76 encircles the rotating zones of the machine except through a small are at the dofling and replenishing section. At this location (see Figs. 2 and 4) there is an air cylinder 104 having a piston rod 106 to the upper end of which is secured a plate 108. In the lowermost position of the piston rod 106, that shown in Fig. 2 and in solid lines in Fig. 4, the plate 108 is at the level of the cam 76 at its lowest point, that corresponding to completion of quill wind. At the upper-most position of the plate 108, that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the plate is aligned with the highest part of the cam, that corresponding to start of quill wind. Actuation of the piston of cylinder 104 for movement of plate 108 is effected by a solenoid operated air valve 110 under control of a microswitch 112. A timing cam .114 secured to the shaft 2 controls energization of the solenoid of valve 110. Two full strokes of the piston of the air cylinder 104 are utilized for quill doffing and replenishing and therefore for the 12 spindle frame illustrated, the timing cam 114 is shaped to cause actuation of the solenoid valve 24 times for each revolution of shaft 2. In Fig. 1 a pivoted doff arm 116 is shown as the means for doffing a full quill. The arm carries an arcuate quill receiving member 118 at its end which is adapted to fit around the base of a quill and thereby hold the quill during withdrawal of the spindle extension 84 therefrom with downward movement of the plate 108 of the air cylinder. The arm 116 may then be swung either manually or automatically for delivery of the full quill to a pin board or the like and then returned for doffing of the next quill. No specific means for oscillating the arm 116 about its pivot have been illustrated as any suitable electrical or mechanical means operated in time relation with the rotation of shaft 2 could be provided for this purpose. Empty quills from a supply hopper 120, preferably one provided with automatic feed mechanism, are delivered to a chute 122. The spindle extension 84 of the defied spindle penetrates an empty quill at the exit end of the chute at the end of the upstroke of plate 108 following the doffing operation. During dofling and replenishing the spindle is not rotating as it is then in the location where its whorl is out of engagement with the spindle drive belt 24.

Although not illustrated in the drawings the machine is preferably provided with suitable means for cutting the yarn from the quill being dotfed and for leading the endl issuing from the associated slot 60 to the empty qui l.

The operation of the quill winder has, in part, been described in connection with the description of the various parts thereof. The motor 14 supplies the power for rotating shaft 2, for driving the spindles and for rotating the traverse rotor about the shaft 2. Rotation of shaft 2 causes the spindles and quills carried thereby to be moved about the periphery of the machine at a relatively low rate and the precessional cam causes the spindles to be gradually lowered during this travel. The traverse rotor is rotated at a higher ratethan the shaft 2 and hence the contoured edge thereof in passing a spindle will cause the yarn to that spindle to move up and down in the guide slot 60 of the shield and traverse a corresponding length of the quill. Winding starts at the bottom of a quill with the spindle carriage at its uppermost position due to engagement of the cam follower roll carried thereby with the highest part of the precessional cam 76. When the quill is completely wound the whorl of its spindle leaves the spindle belt, the cam follower roll rides on to the plate 108 and is raised thereby into position for doffing of the quill during the subsequent down stroke of the air cylinder. At the end of the next upstroke a new quill is placed on the spindle, the cam follower roll rides on to the precessional cam and the spindle whorl comes into contact with the spindle drive belt for rottllltion thereby and the start of winding of the new qui The above described machine operates quietly and etliciently, has a high rate of output per square foot of floor space and is relatively simple to construct.

Although a twelve spindle machine has been illustrated and described, obviously the machine could be designed for winding a lesser or a greater number of quills. Various changes could of course be made in the various parts of the particular machine illustrated and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the accompanying claims.

The following is claimed:

1. In a textile winding machine a vertically disposed rotatable post, a supply creel carried by said post to rotate therewith, a platform fixed to said post beneath said creel, a double walled cylindrical member secured to said platform, said member having a plurality of vertically disposed yarn guide slots therein, a plurality of vertically disposed rotatable spindles adapted to carry winding cores, means secured to said post for supporting said spindles with the cores carried thereby disposed about the periphery of said cylindrical member and adjacent the slots therein, a traverse member rotatably mounted on said post and having a cylindrical sleeve disposed within the annular space defined by the walls of said cylindrical guide member and formed along its upper edge in a series of hills and dales for causing yarn passing through said slots and riding on said edge to traverse the winding cores, means for rotating said post, means for rotating said traverse member on said post and means for rotating said spindles.

2. The machine according to claim 1 wherein said spindle support means include vertically disposed rods permitting vertical reciprocation of the spindles, means urging the spindles in a downward direction, a fixed sleeve having an upper cam surface determining the spindle level and gradually decreasing in height from a maximum at a position just beyond said location where a spindle is out of driving engagement with said belt to a minimum at a position just preceding said location, and pneumatically operated means at said location for lifting a spindle from said minimum to said maximum level.

3. The machine according to claim 2 including means operated in timed relation to the rotation of said post for automatically actuating said lifting means.

4. A quill winding machine comprising an array of vertically disposed spindles each adapted to rotate about its'own axis and all supported for rotation about a common axis, each spindle being adapted to carry a quill to be wound, a creel adapted to rotate with said spindles about the common axis, means for guiding yarn from supply packages carried by said creel to quills carried by said spindles, means interposed between said guide means and the quills on the spindles for traversing a fixed length of each quill, means for moving said spindles longitudinally during rotation of the spindle array for precessing the quills carried by the spindles, each of said spindles having an elongated whorl thereon movable longitudinally therewith, an endless belt encompassing said whorls, and means for driving said belt in a fixed path whereby movement longitudinally of said spindles enables said belt to drive said whorls through contact therewith at selected positions longitudinally thereof.

5. A quill winding machine comprising in combination a central rotatable post, a creel carried by said post for rotation therewith, a pair of support disks mounted on said post below said creel, a double walled cylindrical member having one wall mounted on one of said disks adjacent the periphery thereof and the other wall mounted on the other of said disks adjacent the periphery thereof, said member having a plurality of vertical yarn guide slots therein, a traverse rotor including a cylindrical sleeve disposed within the annular space between the walls of said member and having an upper generally saw-toothed contour, said traverse rotor being rotatably mounted on said post intermediate said disks, a third disk secured to said post, guide rods extending between said third disk and one of said pair of disks, spindle carriages slidably mounted on said rods and spindles rotatably mounted on said carriages, a fixed spiral cam substantially encircling said post, cam follower rolls mounted on said carriages, spring means urging said rolls into engagement with said cam, means for rotating said post, means for rotating said traverse rotor on said post and means for rotating said spindles about their respective axes.

6. The machine according to claim 5 including a compressed air operated piston operated in timed relation with the rotation of the post for transferring a cam follower roll from the portion of the surface of the spiral cam of minimum height to the portion of the surface of the cam of maximum height.

7. A Winding machine comprising in combination two concentric rotatable zones, one of said zones including a plurality of spindles adapted to carry cores to be wound, support means for supply packages, and means for guiding material from supported supply packages to the winding cores and the other of said zones, including means for traversing the winding cores with the material led to the cores by said guide means, each of said spindles having an elongated whorl thereon, an endless belt for driving said whorls, means for gradually moving the spindles unidirectionally in the direction of their axes during rotation of their zone whereby the locus of the traverse stroke on a winding core and the locus of contact of said driving belt with said whorls varies with rotation of the spindle zone.

8. A winding machine comprising in combination two concentric rotatable zones, one of said zones including a plurality of spindles adapted to carry cores to be Wound, support means for supply packages, and means for guiding material from supported supply packages to the winding cores and the other of said zones, including means for traversing the winding cores with the material led to the cores by said guide means, means for gradually moving the spindles unidirectionally in the direction of their axes during rotation of their zone whereby the locus otthe traverse stroke on a winding core varies with ro tatlon of the spindle zone, and a pneumatically operated piston at one location adjacent the periphery of the splndle zone for moving each spindle in a direction opposite to that of said last-mentioned means.

9. A winding machine according to claim 8 including electrical control means operated in timed relation with the rotation of said first-named zone for automatically actuating said piston.

10. In a textile winding machine a vertically disposed rotatable post, a supply creel carried by said post to rotate therewith, a platform fixed to said post beneath said creel, a double walled cylindrical member secured to said platform, said member having a plurality of vertically disposed yarn guide slots therein, a plurality of vertically disposed rotatable spindles adapted to carry winding cores, means secured to said post for supportmg said spindles with the cores carried thereby disposed about the periphery of said cylindrical member and adjacent the slots therein, a yarn tension control device disposed adjacent each of said guide slots and mounted on said platform in alignment with its respective guide slot and winding core, a traverse member rotatably mounted on said post and having a cylindrical sleeve disposed Within the annular space defined by the walls of said cylindrical guide member and formed along its upper edge in a series of hills and dales for causing yarn passing through said slots and riding on said edge to traverse the winding cores, means for rotating said post, means for rotating said traverse member on said post, and means for rotating said spindles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

